Good morning or evening depending on where you are in the world. I say this every week – but where does the time fly? 0730 hours saw me frantically pulling on clothes, brushing my teeth, feeding the cats and endeavouring to eat a bowl of breakfast cereal; remembering we’re off to a party later this afternoon AND I still have a weekend blog post to write. And I confess I’ve not given it much thought.

After scanning Facebook, I noticed a fellow author Lia Fairchild asking what we all did for a living if not a full time writer- my initial response was ‘who has time for a job?’ For me this week has been particularly hectic and fraught at times.

We’ve had two different groups of friends staying for two nights on separate occasions. Don’t get me wrong, I love my friends and enjoy them to stay, but it necessitates extra house cleaning, laundry, shopping for food/drink and preparing some tasty meals –just for starters. I found myself sneaking off on odd occasions to check Facebook, Twitter and see how my books were faring (well!), but felt really guilty especially when the husband called me sad and to stop neglecting my friends. OK,OK.

Then we’re still suffering from the explosion that recently rocked Cyprus when 98 tankers of ‘impounded’ explosives detonated from a bush fire. Every day sees us with one or more power cuts lasting for about three hours at a stretch – no electricity, no telephone, no internet. Apparently there is another pile of ‘arms’ lying in an army camp not from my village – are these stored properly? I have my doubts…

I was the featured author in Ereader News Today, on Thursday. This entailed more work, letting friends and fans know and sending out tweets and a blog – I apologise now if I overdid it but I thought I had to strike while the iron was hot, and judging by the sales it was well worth it!! The Assassins’ Village has soared on Amazon.com.

On top of that, with no air con or fans to keep us cool in temperatures well into the 100’s, I am plagued by the husband as he goes over new material for his gig on the 30th! Apparently he has a couple of numbers included in the programme that I am expected to sing with him – er yes, I enjoy and regularly act on stage but I’m not so keen on singing in front of a large audience on my own, and I don’t know how to get out of it. Help - any answers please?

So you could say, well what a bummer of a week!

But wait a minute… going back to Lia’s question, I am ‘officially’ retired. My time is pretty much my own and yes, I have some commitments but I can mostly do what I like – acting, writing, walking, hashing, partying, reading John Locke’s new book on ‘how to sell a million books’.

Having friends to stay was great in itself and they all bought the new paperback edition of The Assassins’ Village, for their friends as well.

OK. So we have no power at times, but this gives me three hours at a stretch when I can’t do anything else much but crack on with novel number three, Children of The Plantation. Already I’ve written an extra 30,000 words and I’m getting near my first major edit.

As for the husband, well he’s performing at The Magic Teapot. This is going to be packed with friends, fans and summer visitors, most of whom have not yet seen or bought my new paperback! OK so I’ve got to sing, but I’ll have a captive audience!

So, I have to say that for me, everything that’s happened this week has a silver lining. What about you? Have you had a good week?